Device to control the reception of gas in buildings.



F. SCHMIDT. DEVICE T0 CONTROL THE RECEPTION OF- GAS IN BUILDINGS. APPLICATION FILED MAR.20,,1909.

' Y Patented 'Dec.28;1909;

WITNESSES WNz I l NW lNl/EIYTOR ATTORNE r3 FREDRICK SCHMIDT, OF NEW YORK; N. Y.

DEVICE TO CONTROL THE. RECEPTION F GAS IN BUILDING S.

. Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 20, 1909. Serial No. 484,800.

Patented Dec. 28, 1909.

I ception of Gas in a Building; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof. I

The device is of the class which shuts off the gas automatically by the heat in case of fire.

The meter or any connected member may be exploded or ruptured so that the restraint ordinarily imposed on the induction is removed and a strong flow of gas may tend to come from the street main into the more or less damaged building, and increase the fire but my invention revents any such mischief. I prefer to app y it to the service pipe through which the gas flows from the street-main into the meter, and will describe it as thus used. I mount in a small casing of brass or other suitable metal a double- .faced valve and a sufficiently strong spring,

arrangedto press it into the seat which con trols the flow into the building, and I provide means for holding open such valve against the force of the spring by the aid of an easily fusible metal which will hold the valve open while cold, but will melt and instantly liberate the valve when the heat of the air in the apartment rises above a certain predetermined temperature.

I have devised a construction possessing marked advantages as will be fully set forth below and recited in the claims.

As soon as practicable after the fire is discovered the gas is additionally shut off by placing the same or other fusible link in posltion.

The following-is a description of what I consider the best means of carrying out the invention. The accompanying drawings form a part of this specification.

Figure l is a vertical section showing the device'in its'ordinary condition with the valve open to allow an unobstructed flow to the meter and the system of pipes through out the building, and tightly forbidding any escape of gas around the valve stem. Fig. 2 is an elevation with a. portion broken away. It shows the device in the condition it assumes when the temperature of the room becomes unduly heated. The valve has been liberated by the fusible metal and has been forced to its seat by the action of its spring.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in boththe figures where they appear.

TED STAWENT Q Q A is the body or casing of the valve, certam portions being further designated when necessary by super-numerals.

A is a horizontal partition near the middle height in the interior, in which the valve seat is formed.

A 1s a screw-threaded cap closing a 11beral aperture in the top, theupper end allowing the easy traverse of the valve stemand rigidly supporting a yoke A. extending across the stem as shown.

The valve is finished at its edge to match its lower surface against the seat A, and its upper surface to form a tight junction with the Work above, which will be more specifically described farther on.

B is the valve, B the stem-thereof extending upward from the valve and having a saw-kerf I) at its upper end.

B is a thin plate of metal preferab y cop.- per held in the kerf b by a tran se pin or screw B The length of this thin plate B which extends above the heavier valve stem must be sufficient to allow of soldering such projecting part with the fusible solder to the corresponding thin plate E which is secured by atransverse screw or otherwise v to a yoke which is engaged with a part of the fixed portion of the device. In adjusting the parts the valve B is lifted against the force of a spring. so that the thin plates B and E overlap each other. united by the fusible solder with proper skill and care in the manufacture, and so long as its ordinary temperature obtains the gas-flows freely from the street main to the meter not shown'through the liberal passage produced by the lifting of the valve '13 off the seat A, and my device is of no effect.

The upper part-of the cap A? matches loosely without packing around the stem.

Below 'that easy fitted bearing the orifice is enlarged and receives the spring before re- They are ferred to, a helical spring G which loosely incloses the stem B and exerts a longitudinally distcnding force.

The upper surface B of the valve outside of and concentric to the spring seat is finished to serve as an extra valve-face ready to close against any proper seat above. The

of the valve, but this is not generally preferunder face A of the cap may be matched directly metal to metal with the upper face able; I so proportion the length of the plates 13 E and the extent of their overlap to be maintained by the fusible metal that there will be considerable space. between'the valve and the cap. In the space thus produced, I insert a ring D of soft vulcanized rubber of such thickness that in its uncompressed condition it will a little more than fill it. The thin plates will usually be put together with care in a manufactory' and inserted in their united condition in the yoke and valve stemL Thus a rin D of soft rubber is fitted between the two aces,bel0w the cap and above the valve,'and by its elastic quality forms a tight joint with each, So long as the fusible metal uniting the thin plates B and Ev remainsintact, thevalve B is held up thereby against theforce of the spring,

but Whenever a fire occurs and this carefully alloyed. solder rises above the moderate temperature, say 150 Fahr. for which it is adapted, the solder will melt and releasing its hold onthe valve stem the valve will smartly drop to its seat and the flow of gas throughmy valve is stopped and remains stopped. V

Iattach importance to the screw-threads for connecting the base of the yoke A to the cap .A because it not only affords convenient facilities for assembling the parts,

'but also allows very fine adjustment of the height of the yoke and consequently of the pressure of the upper face of the valve against its seat either with or without the elastic bearingring D. a

Modifications may be made without departing from the principle or sacrificing the advantages of the invention.

Instead of the stem and valve being cast in one or otherwise united rigidly, with all the partsmade and applied together with exactness, I can use a loosejoint by which the valve disk isallowed to change its position a little to better match its two seats above and below.. a

I claimas my invention: 1. A valve for gas having provisions for automatically shutting in case of accidental fire, comprising a valve disk having two opposite faces, a valve stem therefor, a casing inclosing these parts and having two seats, one receiving one face of the valve and thereby controlling the flow from the street main into the building, and the other controlling the flow around the unpacked valve stem, in combination with provisions for urging such valve disk when liberated toward the proper seat to stop the valve assage, two slender strips conditionally oining the yoke and .the valve stem, and a quantity of fusible material unitmg overlapping ends of these strips together.

2. A valve for gas having provisions for automatically shutting in case of accidental fire, comprising a valve disk having two opposite faces, a valve .stem therefor, a'casing inclosing these parts and having two seats, one receiving one face of the valve and thereby controlling the fiow from the street maininto the building, and the other controlling the flow around the unpacked valve stem, in combination with a bearing ring of elastic materialsurrounding said valve stem, thereby insuring a tight joint without frictional resistance to the closing movement and without requiring nicely finished surfaces, two slender strips conditionally joining the yoke and the valve stem, and a quantity of fusible material uniting overlapping ends of these strips together.

3. A valve for gas having provisions for automatically shutting in case of accidental fire, com rising a valve disk having twov opposite aces, a valve stem therefor, a casing inclosing these parts and having two seats, one receiving one face of the valve and thereby controlling the flow from the street main into the building, and the other controlling the flow around the unpacked valve stem, in combination with a screwthreaded ring engaged adjustably on a screw-threaded portion vof the casing and carrying a slender: yoke which is thus adjustable in its; distance from the last named valve seat, two slender strips conditionally joining the-yoke and the valve stem, and a quantity of fusible material uniting overlapping ends of these strips together.

Si ned. at New York, N. Y. this 8th day EREDRICK SCHMIDT;

Witnesses ARTHUR P. MARK,

SAMUEL H. HOYGSON. 

